Samer Abu Daqqa, a photojournalist and editing technician for Al Jazeera in Gaza, was born in 1978. He lived and grew up in Khan Yunis, and refused to leave it despite receiving job offers abroad. He remained stationed in the field, conveying the truth and news, and documenting the occupation’s violations of his people and his country, until he became one of The costs of the “Iron Swords” aggression and one of its martyrs. He continued to bleed for 6 hours without ambulances being able to reach him, so he died as a martyr on December 15, 2023.
He was known among his colleagues for his smile that never left his face, his constant optimism, his beloved personality among everyone, and his cheerful nature, in addition to his creative and distinguished performance in the professional community, and for his press message that he stuck to until his last breath, and he was always the one who pushed his colleagues to complete the delivery of the message when they were tired. From covering events.
Birth and upbringing
Samer Abu Daqqa, nicknamed “Abu Yazan,” was born in the south of the Gaza Strip in 1978. He lived and resided in the large town of Abasan, near Khan Yunis, where he was martyred. He has three sons and a daughter who live in Belgium, away from their father, who chose to stay for field work in Gaza.
Months before his death, Abu Daqqa visited his family in Belgium, planning to reunite with them in Gaza and return to the homeland, despite an attempt to persuade him to leave it in the context of the Israeli war onOh Which began on October 7, 2023. He refused, despite the foreign residency he possessed, and said, “I will not leave,” and chose to continue the coverage, confirming this two days before his martyrdom.
Journalistic experience
He joined Al Jazeera in June 2004, and worked as a photographer and editing technician. He is considered one of the first nucleus that contributed to establishing the Al Jazeera office in PalestineHe led the technical team in Al Jazeera’s office in Gaza, and his period of work at Al Jazeera exceeded 20 years.
Our colleague Tamer Al-Mashal worked with him for 8 years in Gaza, accompanied him on journalistic missions and operations outside Palestine, and together they covered events in Syria, Egypt and elsewhere. Al-Mashal says about him that he combined the skills of photography and montage, and he was very distinguished in photography, and he remained covering in the field throughout his journalistic experience with courage, not being afraid or intimidated, bearing the responsibility of conveying the truth.
He was distinguished by his lens, which produced distinctive images and filmed humanitarian reports, films, and other media productions for Al Jazeera’s various platforms, and he followed and supervised the artistic direction of Al Jazeera’s reports.
While covering the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, Samer Abu Daqqa did not stop working, and he was keen to cover the events all the time. He carried his cameras in his hand and rushed to the scene of the event, documenting the martyrs and violations in the midst of the attacks.
Martyrdom
Colleague Abu Daqqa was martyred on December 15, 2023 after he remained lying on the ground bleeding and trapped in the vicinity of Farhana School for 6 hours, as the ambulance was unable to reach him due to his injury alongside the colleague. Wael Al-Dahdouh During their coverage of an Israeli bombing of the school.
He was buried on the morning of Saturday, December 16, 2023, in Khan Yunis, and Abu Daqqa’s body was carried out by members of his family, colleagues, and loved ones in the Gaza Strip.
Abu Daqqa was targeted with Wael Al-Dahdouh while they were accompanying an ambulance that was coordinating the evacuation of a besieged family. He and his colleague Samer were filming the great state of devastation caused by the Israeli bombing, and their lens was able to reach areas that no camera lens had reached before, and even the emergency services and ambulances did not reach them.
After they finished filming, Abu Daqqa and the team with him returned on foot to the rugged area that cars could not pass, until a sudden missile surprised them, their equipment was scattered, and they were injured by shrapnel. While Al-Dahdouh was able to walk wounded to the end of the street, his colleague Samer remained bleeding on the ground. Ambulances could not reach him as they were targeted by the occupation forces.
Abu Daqqa was able to move to another place after his first injury, before an Israeli reconnaissance plane targeted him for the second time, killing him directly along with a number of civilians and 3 civil defense men.
The Government Information Office in Gaza said, “The occupation army deliberately targeted the Al Jazeera crew for the fourth time in a row in a complete crime in violation of international law,” calling on press unions and media, human rights, and legal bodies to condemn this crime.
The office added – in a statement – that targeting the Al Jazeera crew comes within the framework of “intimidation and intimidation of journalists,” and considered it a failed attempt to obscure the truth and prevent them from media coverage, stressing that during the war on Gaza the occupation army killed 89 journalists, arrested 8 others, and injured many of them.
They said about him
At Abu Daqqa’s grave, reporter Wael Al-Dahdouh gave a moving testimony about his career, saying that he was one of the most loyal colleagues to his profession and to Al-Jazeera, “and we lost him in a barbaric act (even though) we were on an approved official mission with direct coordination.”
Al-Dahdouh said that the only consolation in the passing of photographer Abu Daqqa is the presence of his colleagues who carry his noble message and continue to perform their duty professionally and transparently.
The Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Qatari Foreign Ministry wrote Lulwa Al KhaterOn her account on the X website, “Another journalist is killed and another voice is silenced,” adding that this is the largest number of journalists killed in any armed conflict during this short time.
The Qatari official stated that “when the attack occurred on the (French satirical magazine) Charlie Hebdo World leaders rallied for freedom of expression, “But it is clear that journalists are not born equal… Dear Samer, we apologize that we were unable to protect you and left you alone to face their brutal military arsenal with only your camera… They deceived us and told us that words are stronger than guns, and it was your life and the lives of dozens.” Journalists are the price to realize that this is just a lie… may your soul rest in peace.”
The American newspaper The Washington Post quoted a photographer working for it in Gaza with words of praise for the martyred colleague, saying, “During the war, I got close to Abu Daqqa, and we used to spend time together in Al-Nasser Hospital. He is always smiling and everyone loves him.”
